That’s when authorities say Omar Mateen emerged, carrying an AR-15 and spraying the helpless crowd with bullets. Numerous victims remain inside the nightclub, officials said. In such tight quarters, the bullets could hardly miss.
Advertisement
Charleston, S.C. – Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people during a racially motivated shooting in a predominantly African-American church on June 17, 2015.
He was an American citizen and he born in NY, a federal official said. You can not underestimate the power of being an LGBT person at that festival with one of the most potent symbols of your nation looming so large.
Jon Alamo said he was at the back of one of the club’s rooms when a man holding a weapon came into the front of the room.
President Obama has been a consistent proponent of “common sense gun laws”, but the pathos of his speeches increased considerably in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting that left 27 dead, including 20 young school children. “That’s how he was shooting at people”, he said.
I join Americans in praying for the victims of the attack in Orlando, their families and the first responders who did everything they could to save lives.
Mina Justice was desperately texting her son Eddie, who was hiding in a nightclub bathroom.
Yusufiy spoke to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity, telling the publication that her ex-husband “would just come home and start beating me up because the laundry wasn’t finished or something like that”. “I’m gonna die.” As Sunday wore on, she awaited word on his fate.
Another 53 people were injured in the shooting, which police have described it as an act of terrorism. “We stand with the people of Orlando who have endured a bad act on their city”, said Obama.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack Sunday afternoon via its Amaq news agency, according to Reuters.
Hours after a gunman killed at least 50 people in Orlando, Obama said the FBI would investigate the nightclub shooting as terrorism, but said the alleged shooter’s motivations were unclear.
An FBI spokesman said the gunman appeared to “have leanings towards” radical Islamist ideology but it was not yet clear whether this was a case of domestic or global terrorism. He purchased at least two firearms legally within the last week or so.
“The shooting that occurred in Orlando was a tragedy, and something that should never take place in our country. I didn’t get to see the shooter”.
Approximately 5 a.m.: Police set off two controlled explosions to distract the gunman while they use an armored vehicle to gain entry to the club. That prevented paramedics from going in until authorities determined the battery was something that fell out of an exit sign or a smoke detector, he said. Mina notes that SWAT teams were able to rescue approximately 30 victims. Danny Banks is an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
“We are still learning all the facts”, he said. His father told NBC News that Mateen had recently expressed anti-gay sentiments.
There was an exchange of fire with a police officer working at the club, but it is unclear whether that was inside or outside the venue.
“We can confirm that Omar Mateen had been employed with G4S since Sept 10 2007”.
“We know enough to say this was an act of terror and an act of hate”, he said.
Adnani called on jihadists to attack civilians target, adding “the smallest bit of work that you can carry out in their countries is far better and beloved to us than any major work [i.e. operations] here”, referring to the terror group’s ongoing fight against U.S.-backed local forces in Iraq and Syria.
Advertisement
The woman said her parents flew down to Florida when they learned Mateen had assaulted her, and pulled her out of the house, leaving her belongings behind.
